3/17/2019 Stepping through (Rift Log 8)

[18:19] Aspen Invidia whispers: Chroma. Would you be willing to speak with me privately?
[18:19] Aspen Invidia whispers: Or are you too upset with me?
[18:19] Chroma Zanders whispers: that's assuming I trust you--but, yeah, c'mon to my house.
[18:20] Von Lepopon says, "If you attempt to have me dress as a manner of servant I will end myself."
[18:21] Chroma chroma would lean against his counter, and take off his armor, with a sigh. Not really looking at Aspen, but she could feel his dagger like attention.
(Chroma Zanders)
[18:26] After the Invidia's conversation with Astaria, Aspen approached Chroma confidently. The wings of blood that adorned her back dispersed into an aura, cleansed, and reabsorbed through her veins as they traversed towards his home.

The trust between them, or at least Chroma's for Aspen, was broken. Recent event things, however this was an attempt to mend that distrust. Therefore..

She sat at the counter. The tension of his indirect stare brought on a bit of aggression in her, yet-

"Can you stop fucking acting like this for one moment and hear me out?" A sigh of irritancy audibly let loose from between her lips. Her brow knitted together, staring at him. "Why are you upset about what I've been doing? I'm not leaving Dawn for that hound, Chroma, if that's what you're worried about."

For now, the woman hushed down to allow Chroma's words in if he might add any.
(Aspen Invidia)
[18:34] With a bit of deliberation, the Paladin would pour himself a shot and then slam it back, still not looking to Aspen, before he'd then turn his attention to her.

He could justify all of her actions before, family, and blood, that made sense, he cared about her a lot, and could see where she was coming from--but this instance was just so completely dumb to him.

"I'm upset..because for a year I worried about you, wondering if one of my good friends was being tortured, to near death, or if they even breathed still, Ethan brang you there and kept you like a dog without your will. But, yeah let's just get in a relationship with our captor--one that's hit on every other woman in Agartha. You sure have some bad taste." he'd finish, shaking his head.

The man was a traitor, which wasn't necessarily his problem, he thought Aspen was simply smarter than a thirsty disloyal bastard, overall.
(Chroma Zanders)
[18:43] The blood mage sat, averting her eyes from Chroma before his own settled on hers. The explanation for his disposition towards her was reasonable, yet arguable from what followed his own words spoken by her.

"It's not necessarily bad taste more than it was for comfort after losing my brother," she admits, turning her face out of view. "He happened to come around at a bad time, we made a connection, and that was all. Alastor's taken care of my idiocy, but..

If you believe something more should be done then why don't you take the liberty in dealing me a punishment yourself?" The Invidia's glare shoots towards him. "Would that make you feel better, Chroma?" Poisonously hissed words spoken through gritted teeth. What exactly was she aiming for?

"Because I've made bad choices myself, yeah? During a rough time where I watched my own brother die? What I've done isn't justified in your eyes, sure, so do something about it if you hate it that much!"
(Aspen Invidia)
[18:52] Glaring at Aspen for a bit, she'd set him on a bit of a warpath, he'd think of what he wanted her to suffer--perhaps a genderswap? A loss of a limb? Perhaps complete abandonment of her and ignoring her existence from now on..? No. She was a fool, and she deserved a fool's punishment.

"Give me a goddamned break....comfort? Fuck you Aspen. I offered my ears, and time to you as someone that genuinely cared about what you had to say, and didn't only want to get into your pants. You're just weak, and you always have been. You look for aid from vampire blood to strengthen your own thin assed bloodline, and idiot dick so you don't have to confront actual feelings." He'd break to stand up, and then grab her neck lifting her a bit, in a similar fashion that Hatsu had before, not applying pressure, but his intent was definitely felt.

"No. If you want my forgiveness you earn it. Either you lead to that traitor's demise, or you prove that you're not just playing everyone in this town yet again. Otherwise? I'm done with you." he was cold in that ultimatum, though she could sense that she had honestly hurt him in her foolish choices this time, he couldn't make an excuse for her this time.

Dropping her afterwards, he'd take another sip of his drink, and sit back down, containing himself from anything else of the sort, though he had a maelstrom of different actions he'd like to take.
(Chroma Zanders)
[19:08] "Excu-" Before the Invidia got a full word in, Chroma's hand wrapped around her neck, lifting her from her seat. That did naught but spark up that previous vexed disposition acquired from her youth. Her sharpened nails of a single hand gripped at his flesh accompanied with an established scowled mien.

She'd been tossed away, let down both physically and mentally. From there, Aspen neared him in movements of celerity, getting in Chroma's face- words hissed out more poisonous than before with a deadly intention aimed directly towards him.

"Excuse me? No, fuck you, Chroma. You're pissed off because Fethi died. Because I protected my brother. Because I made a fucking mistake. Did you fail to think in your thick fucking skull that I found it too difficult to conspire and consult with someone who openly fucking talked about wanting to kill my brother?" A silence pause briefly-

The Invidia's blood broke through her skin to initiate the aura prior to this discussion. Blood boiled around her body, decelerating its flow from the drop of a temperature around the duo. Her breaking point rose, and she was ready to attack. Aspen's breaths were heavy, flaring through her nostrils.

"No, you fucking daft piece of shit. And I don't look for vampiric blood to strengthen my own bloodline. I've my purposes for it!"

Her arm jerked outward at her side, ripping water from the atmosphere immediately. A formation of talons akin to a drakanite's claws formed, freezing from the center and outward. The claws were sharp to a point, accompanied with a flurry of razor sharp, tangible winds.

"You're wrong about my weakness. I'm strong, and your forgiveness now means nothing to me!"
(Aspen Invidia)
[19:19] Putting the cork back onto the alcohol Chroma would use his minor knowledge of gravity magic to to re-equip his armor. He was heated now--but to attack him? In HIS home? With his kids upstairs? She'd truly lost his favor completely.

He'd ignite in a beacon of energy, as his eyes glowed, and the entire house quaked. Finally rising back up, he completely disregarded her blaring aura and winds taking hold, grabbing his great sword and giving her a cold glare.

"Impulsive, shattered and alone. That is what you are in Dawn. I'm tossing your ass into jail after this, and then we'll decide how Alastor feels about your past actions and then assaulting a Paladin. I'm tired of your family anyways." he'd chime in, looking deathly serious.

Though as he went to swing--he'd feel a pang flash along his body. He didn't hate her regardless of this, but his wrath was blinding his senses. If he were able to beat her down from her insighted act, the Paladin would simply take another drink of his ale, and let loose a sigh.

They'd both be bringing out the worst of each other, which truly wasn't what he wanted, though he felt that had she just talked to him before, it wouldn't have led to this. And he'd just sit there, not allowing himself to act on his words.
(Chroma Zanders)
[19:55] Gravitational manipulation allowed Chroma to hover above the ground, bursting out with an immense aura of raw energy while Aspen reeled back, conjuring more blood from her person, seeping through broken flesh and accompany her below a veil of her vitality.

Large wings of that produced blood shaped, adorning her back, amalgamated with mana to solidify their formation and lift her albeit portions could be seen through of the intangible mana holding it together. Her wings beat against the airs, dodging the swing of his blade and aiming to push Chroma back against the winds of her prowess and wings.

"I'm not fucking weak, I'm not impulsive, shattered, or alone, and I'll. Fucking. Prove. It." Akin to poking an archon with a stick, her scowl and present irritancy was enough for her to assault the energy swordsman. Aggressively. Within his home.

Quickly, before her very eyes, the envisioned, demonically formed spirit realm door of Helheim opened and from an intangible threshold came a deformed soldier more demonic in appearance than their last battle.

The blade of Aspen's crystallized ichor was wielded, clashing against Chroma's own sword. Despite his best efforts, the Invidia had the advantage within the abode. The length of her abilities stretched throughout the room while the demonic spirit she possessed distracted him, acting as a blockade momentarily. Chroma couldn't run away from the stretched assaults, and she did her best to evade the attacks from his blade!

However, any strike Aspen took was only taken more advantage of! Every break in her skin brought out more blood, collected in her aura, then sealed away through water and eventually?

Chroma was forced back through his table, breaking it apart! The action gave the Invidia time for focus, to compress her mana within her blade, illuminating the mahogany hues and crimson blade, continuing to collect in seconds worth of time.

The palpable wall of Eternia was envisioned before her, tunnel visioning the woman's view of Chroma's home, and with the ichor blade being risen up and slashed downward, a stabilized rift emerged at the height of her stature!

Without another word, both Aspen and the demonic presence escaped through. In a flash, the rift was corrected by Eternia, warping the woman elsewhere within Agartha! She successfully managed it and got away, but at what cost?
(Aspen Invidia)
[20:05] Chroma's heart wasn't necessarily in this battle, while he was wrathful of Aspen attacking him in his home--it was evident he hadn't given his all in order to slam her down. His guard was a bit relaxed, his power fell more flat than usual, and overall it didn't necessarily seem like he was in his own body.

He couldn't believe that he'd be here fighting the Invidia, that she'd actually bring herself to harm in being one of the few that actually cared about her in Valmasia.

As the fight sprang, she'd find herself able to take full advantage of the enclosed space, not allowing him maneuverability, and his own constriction on his abilities causing him to fight much less explosive than usual.

The Red Paladin was forced back through his table, enhancing his guard to normal strength in that brief instance, and remaining unharmed despite the severity of her onslaught.

Looking on I a solemn morose judgement as he saw her warp away. Mild surprise, though with her affiliation to Ethan it was evident that she was lost to the traitorous ways of Dawn's enemies...and this act would be her final strike after previous infractions.

Getting up from the wreckage, Chroma would let loose a sigh wishing he wasn't correct to assume this of her. Sheathing his blade, he'd walk off to give the report--spawning a bounty on an old friend yet again, and once more leading him to having a broken heart.

She truly was Zendrick's Sister.
(Chroma Zanders)
[20:18] One threshold ripped through the lifestream in Chroma's home, then another within the north where her brother resided. That was where the Invidia fled- except.. there was a cost! Aspen's escape through her rift didn't come without repercussions.

The woman fell through, damaged. An unstable mindset warped through the fabric of space and time, intermingling her thoughts together; confusion. Plenty of it. No permanenent damage.

Upon standing up, Aspen almost didn't recognize the space of Zendrick's former home, placing her into a panic. The Invidia ran out the door-

A heavy sigh escaped from between her lips. She was successful at getting through the rift, even if the temporary damage warped around her thoughts. Therefore, she walked back into the former home of her brother for rest from her battle with Chroma.

The blood wings dispersed again into an aura, crawling back under the broken skin after purifying them of debris collected from the atmosphere. She trudged forward up the stairs, collapsing on the floor, unconscious.
(Aspen Invidia)